All I Want For Christmas
by The God Squad
Summary: Visiting Sidney Freedman lifts the spirits of the personnel during the Christmas season. 20th Century Fox owns the characters; the Recording artists own the songs; and the Gold Dust Twins own the story idea.
1. Prologue

All I Want For Christmas

PROLOGUE

The Christmas of 1952 brought bone chilling winds and furiously flying snow to the city of Uijeongbu and the surrounding areas. As usual, there was a holiday ceasefire; however, the risk that enemy soldiers would bring the festivities to a screeching halt still remained. In the meantime the jolly holiday music rang out through the officers' club at the 4077th. The orphans the personnel had been entertaining had just left for home, and only the grown-ups remained and celebrated long into the night.

Although he was a man of the reform Jewish faith and didn't celebrate Christmas, Major Sidney Theodore Freedman sat nursing his eggnog and observing his closest friends as they danced, drank, and laughed through the night. He found that studying them as they made merry gave him an insight that could never come from a thousand therapy sessions. He couldn't help reflecting on what the holiday meant to each of them, and he had, during holiday times, sat quietly watching his confidents. He had done this ever since he had become acquainted with those stationed at this cesspool of a camp


	2. Henry: The Christmas Song

Chapter 1 – Henry: The Christmas Song

Christmas of 1950 turned out to be far different from what Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake had expected. While he was trapped in Korea, far from his wife and children on this jolly holiday, he sat sipping from from his brandy glass and wishing more than ever that he was back in Bloomington, Illinois. Seeing the pensive look on the commanding officer's face, visiting Dr. Freedman approached with eggnog in hand and sat in one of the empty chairs at Henry's table.

"Penny for your thoughts," the shrink gently probed with a wink.

"Yo!" Henry started, having been abruptly yanked from his musings. "Uh, hi, Sidney. I was just thinking about Christmas and how I can't believe I'm stuck here in this hell hole waiting to see if the North Koreans are gonna give us some unwanted Christmas presents instead of putting my own presents under the tree. If I were home…" he sighed before taking another sip of his drink.

"Tell me, Henry, what would you be doing if you were home for Christmas."

"If I were home … well I'm not ... but if I was, Lorraine and I would be wrapping presents in our bedroom and marking them 'From Santa Clause', filling stockings after the kids went to bed, trying to keep the cat from boxing down the ornaments, making a mad dash for the back door so the dog doesn't poop on the floor, anticipating only two or three hours sleep because the kids will wanna be up before it's light out so they can open the presents…"

"Why do I get the feeling you're trying to convince yourself Christmas at home is bad in order to elevate your mood?"

"I miss 'em, Sidney. Christmas at the Blake house was always something very special."

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire  
Jack Frost nipping at your nose  
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir  
And folks dressed up like Eskimos

"I remember last Christmas like it was yesterday. We had boxes full of Lorraine's home made cookies … sugar cookies, butter cookies, gingerbread men, oatmeal raisen and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I'd tell the kids to leave a plate with one of each kind for Santa because he never told us which ones he liked … well, since I played Santa's unofficial hellper, it was more of an excuse for me to get at lease one of each kind before the wife and kids gobbled them up on me. Then I would take the little ones upstairs and tuck them in."

Everybody knows a turkey and some  
Mistletoe help to make the season bright  
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow  
Will find it hard to sleep tonight

"I remember Janie coming into our room at two in the morning in tears because Molly told her that she saw the presents behind the bed. I explained to her that Santa's sleigh wasn't big enough to carry all the toys he had to deliver, so he often got a head start and delivered some early, asking the parents to keep the secret. That was enough to cheer her up, and she went back to bed. Then I went downstairs to make up a fake letter and paycheck from Santa Clause; I even wrote everything with the opposit hand so the letters would look different."

They know that Santa's on his way  
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh  
And every mother's Child is gonna spy

To see if reindeer really know how to fly

"It would be five in the morning when the kids would be up and pouncing on our bed. Lorraine and I would tell them that Christmas morning doesn't start until it gets light out and that if they didn't go back to bed, we'd make them wait an extra day. To you and me, that wouldn't seem that bad, but to a kid … Let's just say I'd never seen three little people running out the door so fast! At eight, we all got dressed, and I went downstairs alone while Lorraine and the kids stayed upstairs drinking grape juice … hey, I had to see if Santa had left. Well, I told them to come down because the presents were here, but we had to have breakfast first. The rest of the morning was a blurr of torn paper and flying ribbons, laughter and music, hugs and thank you's."

And so, I'm offering this simple phrase

To kids from one to ninety-two  
Although it's been said many times many ways  
"Merry Christmas to you"

"Once the kids were busy playing with their new toys, Lorraine and I cuddled by the fireplace drinking hot cider and munching cookies. We'd watch the snow fall outside before shifting our gaze back to the kids. It was just like you would see on a greeting card. Even the pets stayed out of trouble … well they didn't have time to get into trouble because they had new toys to play with too, but if they didn't have those toys, they might have gotten themselves into trouble."

They know that Santa's on his way  
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh  
And every mother's child is gonna spy

To see if reindeer really know how to fly

"At dinner time, Lorraine would set out the biggest juiciest turkey you had ever seen, and I would carve it before serving it to everybody. Ahhh, the smells that came out of that oven … The food in the mess tent couldn't even come close to that turkey meal." Henry licked his lips as his mind conjured up the tastes he so sorely missed.

And so, I'm offering this simple phrase

To kids from one to ninety-two  
Although it's been said many times many ways  
"Merry Christmas to you"

"I'll never forget that Christmas," Henry sighed after he finished his tale. "That's when I got this." He indicated the fishing hat he loved to sport no matter how much of a beating it had taken over the last year.

"It sounds like you really enjoyed that Christmas."

"Ahh, you betcha."

""I know you miss them, Henry, but it's important to keep in mind that this police action can't last forever, and you do have a lot of rotation points. I seriously doubt you'll be spending next Christmas here."

The Midwestern man laughed, "Hahaha, one Christmas here is more than enough, Sidney. Thanks for giving me something to look forward to." Henry closed his eyes and smiled, never suspecting that this was to be his very last Christmas.

Sidney returned the smile before slipping out of his chair and returning to his quiet reconnaissance through the room.


	3. Trapper: Happy Christmas War Is over

Chapter 2 – Trapper: Happy Christmas War Is Over

After Sidney left Henry to nurse his drink and anticipate a happier Christmas, he found himself milling around the officers' club continuing to survey the faces of his friends and occasional patients. His eggnog having run out, he decided to get a refill at the bar, and it was there that he discovered a very inebriated Captain Trapper John McIntyre guzzling his umpteenth martini.

"Another eggnog, Major Freedman?" Igor Straminsky confirmed his customer's order before refilling the glass.

"Why not; I may not celebrate Christmas, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a good eggnog." He turned his attention to the blond captain who sat to his left. "Trapper, I thought this was supposed to be a festive time of the year, and here you are looking as if you'd just lost your last ten patients in a row."

"Yeah, well, that would be nothin' compared to the way I feel," Trapper groaned despondently. "Here I am rottin' in this sewer stitchin' guys back together like they're a bunch of garments while my wife and kids are gonna celebrate Christmas without me. They're gonna have to open my presents in brown paper packages and hope they didn't get all busted up on the way to Boston, and I can't even see my girls' faces as they get up and burst into Louise and my room in hopes that we'd dive into the gifts all that much sooner. It stinks bein' over here!"

So this is Christmas  
And what have you done  
Another year over  
And a new one just begun  
And so this is Christmas  
I hope you have fun  
The near and the dear one  
The old and the young

Sidney could sense that Trapper had a great deal to get off his chest, so he sat patiently and listened as the intoxicated surgeon ranted.

"If it wasn't for the lousy rotten Army changin' their lousy rotten rules, I'd 'ave gone home when I got that ulcer. I'd 'ave been home with Louise, Becky, and Cathy openin' presents and eatin' a Christmas ham. But am I home with them? No. This war stinks; the Army stinks; and bein' in this dump really stinks!"

"Trapper, I can sense your frustration, but what good will it do you to get drunk and stew over what you can't have? Believe it or not, you've gotten off a lot easier than many of your patients. You have all your arms and legs; you don't have a permanent handicap; and you do have friends around you who are also missing their families and can celebrate with you."

A very merry Christmas  
And a happy New Year  
Let's hope it's a good one  
Without any fear

Sidney's words caused a silver lining to form on the dark cloud that had been hanging over Trapper's head. He was truly luckier than most people who had to be forced to spend their holidays in a foreign country far from their loved ones. The Bostonian had just come from a celebration at Sister Teresa's orphanage where his best friend had recently played Santa Clause. Unfortunately, Hawkeye Pierce was unable to return to the unit with the rest of the company, for he was needed on the front lines. He, Trapper, might be away from his wife and daughters, but at least he wasn't risking his life in the line of fire. Suddenly it dawned on him that concern for his tent mate was also a major contributor to his unhappy mood.

And so this is Christmas  
For weak and for strong  
For rich and the poor ones  
The world is so wrong  
And so happy Christmas  
For black and for white  
For yellow and red ones  
Let's stop all the fight

"Sidney, it's not just the war and the fact I can't be home with my family. Can I trust ya to keep somethin' between us?"

"You can count on me, Trap."

"I'm goin' outta my mind; Hawkeye was sent out to the front to do emergency surgery on a guy with a chest wound, and he's not back yet. Nobody's heard anything, and I dunno if somethin' happened to him. If it did, I know I'd become a candidate for the giggling academy."

"There's no sense borrowing trouble, Trapper. No news is good news. For all we know, Hawkeye could be on his way back to camp right now."

"For a guy who doesn't even celebrate Christmas, ya sure believe in Christmas hope."

"I don't have to celebrate Christmas to hope, Trapper. For centuries Jews have also looked to the Almighty during trying times."

A very merry Christmas  
And a happy New Year  
Let's hope it's a good one  
Without any fear

"Captain McIntyre!" Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly shouted as he burst into the officers' club, failing to close the door and allowing the heat to escape. "He's back; Captain Pierce just got off the chopper."

"Hot dog! So where is he now?" the fair haired officer beamed at these glad tidings.

"He had to get that guy he brought back into the OR; guess he'll be here when he's through."

And so this is Christmas  
And what have we done  
Another year over  
And a new one just begun  
And so this is Christmas  
I hope you have fun  
The near and the dear one  
The old and the young

"This really stinks," Trapper muttered sadly. It didn't seem fair; Hawkeye had missed out on most of the festivities, and now he had to perform surgery while the rest of the camp was having fun. "He does so much, and he doesn't even get a break. He deserves better than that; we all do after the sacrifices we'd been makin' since we got here. I really can't wait for this war to be over."

A very merry Christmas  
And a happy New Year  
Let's hope it's a good one  
Without any fear

"Ya know," Trapper began after he drained his martini,"maybe if I gave Hawk a hand in surgery, we might get done faster, and he could come and have a little fun before the party ends."

"Sounds like a good idea to me. You'll not only be helping Hawkeye; you'll be helping yourself. They say keeping busy is the best cure for homesickness," Sidney smiled as he watched Trapper rise from his stool and depart for the operating room

War is over; if you want it  
War is over, now...

For a few minutes, the psychiatrist pondered the war and how it was affecting his friends in different ways, and he silently prayed that there would be a speedy end to the police action so these and other fine service men and women would be safe at home during their sacred holiday and not in a danger zone where their lives were constantly at risk. Perhaps there would be a day where there would be no war at all.


	4. Frank: Mr Grinch

Chapter 3 – Frank: Mister Grinch

"Private, gimme a Shirley Temple, and make it snappy!" Major Franklin Marion Burns clipped the second he perched on the stool that Trapper had just vacated.

"Frank, it's the holiday season; it wouldn't hurt you to be a little more cheerful and treat those around you with some respect," Sidney admonished that Frank's current approach would yield him no positive results...

"Private Straminsky, I would like a Shirley Temple please," the camp's second in command spoke slowly and evenly as if those were the hardest words he had ever had to utter. Once he received his beverage, he rendered a terse thank you to the bar tender.

"Frank, you sure make it difficult for people to stay in the Christmas mood."

"Ha! You seem to be making a big deal over a holiday you don't even observe."

Maybe I don't but my friends do, and their happiness is important to me."

"If you ask me, Christmas is a pain in the tail. Nobody here seems to take time to acknowledge … His birth; they just wanna get falling down drunk, and don't tell me I'm just saying that because I'm here in Korea instead of Indiana. No matter where you go, Christmas has become a joke! You wouldn't believe what it's like in Fort Wayne."

Instead of chastising Frank for bitterly chopping down the very holiday that lifted the spirits of the rest of the personnel in the club, Sidney passed a glance to his fellow major, sending the silent signal to carry on with his raving.

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch  
You really are a heel,  
You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch,  
You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel!

"Everybody constantly talks about how Christmas is the time of year when the world stops and everyone is cheerful and even more friendly than normal … Poppycock! That's when all you know what breaks loose. It's at its worst in the stores … There's never anywhere to park, people grabbing left and right for that present they just have to buy, and we can't forget the screaming undisciplined children who think what they see is what they get. One year, I even had one of my wisdom teeth knocked out when this tough looking guy expected me to hand over the diamond earrings I was gonna give to Louise. Goodwil towards man … to quote Scrooge, 'Bah, humbug!' If you ask me, Christmas has become nothing but a big commercial racket."

"Maybe the shopping has gotten out of hand, but isn't there anything you like about Christmas? What about the traditions you keep at home?" Sidney urged his current company to find something positive about the holiday season.

You're a monster, Mr. Grinch,  
Your heart's an empty hole,  
Your brain is full of spiders, you have garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch,  
I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!

"Are you kidding, Freedman, at home it's nothing but work! If I didn't have three children, Louise and I would just settle for buying something for each other and forget about it. I can think of better things to do than sit at my desk writing out and sending Christmas cards to people who I don't even know anymore. Louise insists on putting up a real tree every year when we could save money in the long run by getting an artificial one that can be brought out over and over again."

You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch,  
You have termites in your smile,  
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Mr. Grinch,  
Given a choice between the two of you'd I'd take the seasick crocodile!

"As a family man, surely you can see the value in making a few sacrifices so your girls can have a merry Christmas," Sidney observed, taking another sip of his eggnog.

"No matter what I do for them, it's not good enough. They're dissatisfied because they get more practical gifts than toys and games. Even if they like something, they want it in another color or design. Stephanie wants blue PJ's; Erika won't be caught dead in the sweater I gave her; and Jackie won't settle for costume jewlry. Even Louise wasn't satisfied when I bought her a rabbit fur stole; she wanted mink, chinchilla, or fox. Fur is fur; I don't know what her problem is."

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch,  
You're a nasty wasty skunk,  
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch,  
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote,  
"Stink, stank, stunk"!

"If you want my opinion, Christmas doesn't relieve stress; it causes it. Relatives dropping in at the last minute, cleaning up all that shredded wrapping paper, eating a dry turkey dinner, paying off the presents into the month of March, standing in a mile long line because my youngest still believes in Santa and wants to see him every year. I asked her if she wouldn't rather write a letter, but she always insisted on seeing him in person. Sooner or later, she and her sisters are going to have to outgrow all these traditions or learn how to do the work themselves if they wanna keep having the kind of Christmas celebrations they remember; Louise and I can't do it for them forever."

You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch,  
You're the king of sinful sots,  
Your heart's a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots, Mr. Grinch,  
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful  
Assortment of rubbish imaginable mangled up in tangled up knots!

Acting on a hunch, the psychiatrist felt led to probe into Major Burns' childhood. "I hope your parents didn't feel the same way toward Christmas as you do."

"They put up with it when I was a boy. Mom baked me home made peanut butter cookies and read Dickens' _A Christmas Carol to me. Dad used to spend time with me as we put together a model airplane or had a snowball fight in the back yard; it was the one time of year he actually would take off work so he could spend the day with his family. But when I became an adult and moved out, they stopped everything … the peanut butter cookies, the reading, the time spent together. When I asked them what happened, Dad said I was a man and didn't need any of that corny stuff anymore; Mom said that it was time for me to start making Christmas for myself instead of relying on her and dad." With that, he downed the last of his Shirley Temple and stalked out of the club in a huff, not even bothering to say good night to the shrink with whom he had been talking._

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch,  
With a nauseous super "naus"!,  
You're a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss, Mr. Grinch,

You're a three decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!

Sidney watched Frank departing, his brown eyes full of pitty for the man who had grown bitter and cold over the years. The major's hardness could only be matched by the frozen dirt that lay beneath the blanket of freshly fallen snow. "It's a shame he couldn't turn that disappointment into determination to do better by his own children. He would have been a whole lot happier today if he had. Perhaps the ghosts in Charles Dickens' book should pay him a visit tonight." Not another word was spoken before he lifted his cup and swallowed the last gulp of eggnog.


	5. Radar: Have A Holly Jolly Christmas

Chapter 4 – Radar: Have A Holly Jolly Christmas

Christmas of 1951 was the second one Radar O'Reilly had to miss courtesy of the Korean conflict, and he sat at the bar of the officers' club sipping on a grape Nehi. This particular Christmas was a rough one for him, for he was still trying to get over the grief he felt for Colonel Blake, who had perished when his homebound plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan. He had come to know and like his new commanding officer, and he found Captain BJ Hunnicutt to be an easy man to get along with. These new comrades were fine friends, but they couldn't fill the void that Henry had left upon his tragic death. He missed his mother and Uncle Ed, and the holiday season only seemed to magnify his loneliness. Sensing that the youth could use some company, Sidney left his table with his eggnog in hand and joined him at the bar.

"You look a bit down for someone who's supposed to be celebrating one of the biggest holidays on the Christian calendar, Radar."

"Hi, Major Freedman … well I guess I've seen better days. Normally, I'm too busy to get homesick, but with Christmas and the ceasefire going on, I have lots more time to miss my mom and Uncle Ed … and I'm thinking about Colonel Blake again. I'm hoping this feeling will go away after the holidays are over."

"It's not uncommon to feel blue during the holidays, especially if you're away from home and still trying to get through the loss of a close friend. When that happens, I advise my patients to think about happier times." He paused before fixing his eyes on Radar, a curious facial expression indicating he wanted to hear the young man's tales. "What was Christmas like back home?"

"Christmas at home was really swell …" the enlisted man began after taking a sip from his soda.

Have a holly, jolly Christmas;  
It's the best time of the year  
I don't know if there'll be snow  
but have a cup of cheer

"Every year, Mom and uncle Ed would throw the biggest family Christmas party in Ottumwa, and you always felt like you were living out one of those wintery Christmas songs like you hear on the radio. There would be a big seven foot Christmas tree that Uncle Ed would cut down and set up in the middle of the living room, and the littlest kid would get to put the star on the top. The tree would be real sparkly with tinsel and shiny bulbs hanging on it, and you wouldn't be able to see the stand because of all the presents around it. Mom set up a nativity scene in the front yard, but we need a new one because Ranger, our family dog took off with the Baby Jesus doll and decided to keep it for himself as a new toy."

Have a holly, jolly Christmas;  
And when you walk down the street  
Say Hello to friends you know  
and everyone you meet

"When all the aunts, uncles, cousins, and nephews came over, it would take at least ten minutes for everybody to finish hugging and wishing Merry Christmas to each other. For some strange reason, nobody argued with each other, and they all stayed in a good mood. We'd start singing to the carols on the radio, and then someone would suggest we go to the neighboring farms and sing carols to the other families. Sometimes, they'd let us in for hot chocolate and pumpkin pie, and it would feel real neat and cozy. We'd go caroling until somebody .. usually Uncle Ed would get hungry; so we would head home for supper … which was a turkey and a couple of hams with all the trimmings. A handful of us were vegetarians, so Mom also had a bunch of things that we'd like too."

Oh ho the mistletoe  
hung where you can see;  
Somebody waits for you;  
Kiss her once for me

"After dinner, we'd sit by the fire and tell stories to each other. If we had it, we'd make some popcorn in the fireplace. One year, when I was thirteen, we even made smores. If we wanted them, we had Mom's home made apple pie and ginger bread cookies. There were so many neat smells in our house at Christmas, and it sure would be swell to smell those smells again.

Have a holly jolly Christmas  
and in case you didn't hear  
Oh by golly have a holly jolly Christmas this year

"The last Christmas I was home, we took in a college girl who was too far from her own family over the holidays. They lived all the way in Portland Origon, and nobody could afford the money she needed to come home. I kinda had a crush on her, and she was standing under the mistletoe … Everybody kept urging me to … well, I walked up to her, closed my eyes, and gave her a big kiss. She wasn't sore about having a high school kid kissing her or nothing; she kinda liked it. Trouble was she got a boyfriend a few months later, and it wasn't me. Anyways, she was the first girl outside my family that I had ever kissed.

Oh ho the mistletoe  
hung where you can see;  
Somebody waits for you;  
Kiss her once for me

"Like I said, we have a high old time at my house every Christmas, and I kinda miss it." Radar concluded his trip down Memory Lane and partook of more of his carbonated beverage.

"You've almost got me wishing my faith observed Christmas. We've got family gatherings for Chanukah, but they're nothing like what you described," Sidney commented. "Radar, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Henry Blake last year when he was suffering from holiday homesickness. I reminded him that this war can't last forever; sooner or later, they've gotta declare peace. When that happens, we all will be sent home."

"But, sir, what happens if the war doesn't stop any time soon? World War II lasted almost six years."

""radar, don't think about 'if' you go home; think about 'when' you go home. If your uncle's getting older, he may not feel up to doing farm chores anymore; if his doctor urges him to retire, you can always get a hardship discharge, go home and take over the farm.". Even if your uncle isn't ready to retire, they can't keep you here forever; they can't keep any of us here forever. Just concentrate on the merry Christmas you will have once you're home for good."

"I will, Major Freedman. Thanks a bunch," the bespecticled company clerk beamed, his eyes twinkling and his cheeks growing red and round.

Have a holly jolly Christmas  
and in case you didn't hear  
Oh by golly have a holly jolly Christmas this year

Satisfied that Radar wouldn't be feeling blue anymore, Sidney returned the smile, left his bar stool, and realized that he needed to take a quick trip to the latrine. He shot back the last of his eggnog, laid the glass on the counter, and searched for his parka. Finding it on the back of the chair in which he was originally sitting, he slipped into it and tightly bundled himself up before venturing out into the harsh winter weather.


	6. Klinger: I'll Be Home For Christmas

Chapter 5 – Klinger: I'll Be Home For Christmas

The snow felt as if it were flying sideways in the brisk winds, and Sidney had to keep his scarf snuggly wrapped over his nose and mouth while squinting his eyes so he could see where he was going without getting snow blinded. He wasn't sure how he managed to make it to that latrine in all that wintery chaos; but he did arrive to the outhouse in one piece, and he was even grateful for that stinky little building, for it was some form of shelter from the harsh conditions. When he completed his answer to nature's call, he braced himself for the stinging deluge that waited for him outside that door and exited into the blowing snow.

In the distance, a flash of red caught the Army shrink's eye, and he ventured closer to the object of his curiosity. Standing in the lights cast by the buildings and tents Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger stood steadfast at his post with his Mrs. Clause costume on his back and his rifle in his hands. It didn't seem fair that it was his turn to be on sentry duty on Christmas and that he had to stand out in the elements like this. Who in their right minds would venture out in such horrible weather? Against whom was he guarding the camp?

"Hello, Klinger!" Sidney yelled over the howling wind.

"Heya, Major Freedman! Ya think this outfit'll get me that section 8?" the Ohioan draftee did his best to model his long red flannel gown, white frilly apron, fir coat, and embroidered Santa hat. "I've even got fuzzy slippers on under this dress!" He used his free hand to lift the hem of his gown to reveal red furry slippers that covered his feet, which were firmly bundled in four layers of socks. "They've even got bows on them! Psycho enough for ya?"

"Sorry, Klinger, your costume is too in season. Now if you'd worn that on the 4th of July, you might have a fifty fifty chance … that's if Colonel Potter's in the right mood!"

"Damn!" Klinger snapped, disappointment mirrored in his brown eyes, which were hidden by not only the protective goggles he borrowed but the nocturnal darkness as well. "Sir, you've gotta gimme that psycho! This is the second Christmas I've missed because of being stuck in this crummy joint! Do you know what I'd 'ave been doing if I was in Toledo right now?

"I've got time, why don'tcha tell me about it!"

I'll be home for Christmas  
You can plan on me  
Please have snow and mistletoe  
And presents on the tree

"You'll never see anything like it sir. It's something that runs for days … a mixture of Lebanese and American traditions! Ma would set up the nativity scene in the front yard, and if any parts were missing – which happened more times than you wanna think because little kids kept swiping them, I'd get replacements … sometimes I'd buy or trade for them; one year I even scrounged a sort of new cammel statue from the junk yard! Uncle Abdule used to get our Christmas trees for bargain prices by running over them at the tree lots and telling the guy in charge that they were damaged and shouldn't sell for full price!

"Because Ma had to work on christmas Eve, we all went to Tony Paco's and celebrated our heads off half the night! The next morning, we had all our friends and family over to the house for Christmas coffee, liqueurs, and sugared almonds! Then Ma would set out this big spread of chicken, rice and Kubbeh … that's a Lebanese dish you get by mixing crushed boiled wheat known as 'burghul' with meat, onion, salt and pepper.! You haven't eaten until you've had that!"

Christmas Eve will find me  
Where the lovelight gleams  
I'll be home for Christmas  
If only in my dreams

Suddenly, the memories of Christmas back home laid a great weight on Klinger's heart, and he drew a heavy sigh. "Let's face it, doc, Christmas in toledo's going on without me, and I'm over here freezing my butt off in the middle of nowhere because of this damn war! No matter how many kooky stunts I pull off, the colonel won't send me home! I keep pulling off stunt after stunt and hoping he'll eventually give in, but it seems to feel a helluva lot worse this time of year!"

"Klinger, I don't know what the future holds; I don't know if you'll eventually get that Section 8 or if you'll get sent home at the end of your tour; and I don't know where any of us will be next Christmas! Who knows, we could all be home next year!" Sidney hoped that his words wouldn't sound too harsh; after all, he had to be heard through his muffler and the howling winds. "You're not the only one who longs for home, Klinger. If wearing dresses got everybody a ticket home for Christmas or Chanukah, you'd be running a seemster's shop out of your tent to keep up with the orders! Can you imagine Hawkeye in a royal blue chiffon prom dress with a bow in the back or Colonel Potter in a bright yellow square dance skirt? And BJ would look lovely in a basic black church dress with pearls! How do you think a rinestone studded white evening gown would look on Major Winchester!"

"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" The mental image of the surgeons prancing around in women's clothes brought the corps man into a fit of loud laughter that sliced through the winter's din.

I'll be home for Christmas  
You can plan on me  
Please have snow and mistletoe  
And presents on the tree

This had the desired effect Sidney had in mind to bring Klinger out of his sullen mood, and he leaped at this chance to offer a little advice that he was sure would help eb the feelings of homesickness the large nosed guard was going through at that moment. "Klinger, you may not be able to physically be home with your family this Christmas, but you can always be together with them in your memories! When you go off duty and the parties are over, try going back to your tent and remembering Christmas with your family and friends! Putcherself right in the middle of the memories and see if you can taste the food and see your loved ones around you! You may be stuck here in Korea when you'd rather be home; but it's still christmas over here, and it's up to you to make it a merry one! Just a little something to think about!"

Christmas Eve will find me  
Where the lovelight gleams  
I'll be home for Christmas  
If only in my dreams

"Thank you, sir!" Klinger shouted, his voice clearly showing that the therapist's words helped make him feel better about his current circumstances. "Merry Christmas to you, Major!"

"Actually, I celebrate Chanukah, but thanks for the well wishes! Merry Christmas, Max!" With that, Sidney left the enlisted man to tend to his duty and sought some shelter from the freezing weather conditions. He noticed a light was on in the CO's office, and he grew increasingly curious as to why someone would be hiding in there rather than participating in the gala at the officers' club. Realizing he wouldn't be satisfied until he found out who was hold up in there and why, he hurriedly trudged through the snow and entered the relative warmth of the building.


	7. Sherman: Have Yourself A Merry Little Ch

Chapter 6 – Colonel Potter: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Sidney stomped the snow from his boots and unwound his scarf, allowing himself to breathe fresh air once again. The major removed his gloves and parka, hanging them on the coat tree near the stove, and he scanned the room for signs of life. Hearing the faint tones of Judy Garland's Have Yourself A Merry little Christmas emulating from the inner office, he quietly slipped through the doorway to find Colonel Sherman T. Potter drinking a scotch and staring longingly at a framed picture that sat on the corner of his desk.

"Mildred, I know you'd rather be spending Christmas with me, and the feeling is mutual. You don't know how much I wish I could be sitting by the fire with you sipping hot cider and watching the snow fall outside the window … grandkids playing outside … grown-ups having hot chocolate ready for them when they finally come in. Maybe, I'll be home for Christmas next year, darlin'." After taking another gulp from his glass, he laid it down and looked up to find Sidney standing in the doorway. "Sidney, what in the name of Kris Kringle are you doing here?" he said with a start, his blue eyes open wide.

"I just came in here to warm up; it's not fit out there for man or beast," Sidney answered as he pulled up a chair. "No sense drinking alone, Colonel."

The commanding officer mutely turned off the phonograph he had previously brought into his office to lift his Christmas spirit, and he offered a glass of scotch to his visitor. "Did you somehow figure out that this ole man would needja to tinker with his thinker?"

"NO, I was on my way back from using the latrine and checking up on Corporal Klinger when I saw your light on. Tell me, why aren't you at the party at the O club?"

"Well, I'll tell ya, Sidney, as a regular Army man, I haven't gotten to spend too many Christmases with my wife, kids, and grandkids. As my own little tradition, I make some time to spend with them in spirit."

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,  
Let your heart be light  
In a Year, our troubles will be out of sight

Colonel Potter indicated the framed photos that sat on his desk. "This is the missus; over here is my daughter and her husband; and here are the grandkids. One of these days, my tour will end, and I'll be able to retire and spend Christmas with Mildred for the rest of our lives. That woman' sure had to spend a lot of holidays without me, and someday, I'm gonna make it up to her, and our first Christmas together will be one we won't forget; I can guarantee you that."  
Have yourself a merry little Christmas,  
Make the Yule-tide gay,  
In a year, our troubles will be miles away.

"I have to admire your attitude and determination not to let being stationed over here during the holidays get you down. Most people here seem to be having more of a blue Christmas than a white one."

"It ain't easy, Sid," the older man's weathered face adopted a hint of sadness. "If I didn't keep my mind on what I'm hoping to have in another year or two, I'd be your next live-in patient. My love for Mildred and desire to get back to her got me through being a POW in World War II, and it'll get me through having to stay thousands of miles away patching up lads who should be home kissing their little ladies under the mistletoe. One thing that helps is having friends like you, Pierce, Hunnicutt, and the others around to spend the hollidays with. We're all seperated from our loved ones and have to be each other's family around here."

Here we are as in olden days,  
Happy golden days of yore.  
Faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more.

"You're a lucky man to have a close knit unit to celebrate Christmas with, Colonel."

"You don't have anyone to spend Chanukah with?"

"Nope, our chaplain's a Catholic man, and we don't have any other Jewish staff members. I've got one or two patients who are Jews, but they're in no condition to celebrate." He raised his glass high, prompting the country colonel to join him in a toast. "To next Christmas and Chanukah and to a speedy end to this war so we will be able to spend the holidays with our loved ones again."  
Through the years we all will be together,  
If the Fates allow  
Until then we'll just have to muddle through somehow.  
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

"I'll drink to that," the gray haired man raised his glass and clanked it against Sidney's. They shot back their beverages and smiled at each other. "Ya know, you're welcome to stay in here for a while and share another drink or two with me if ya don't wanna go out in that natural deep freeze right away."

"Thank you, Colonel; I'll take you up on that." The shrink gratefully nodded, holding his drinking vessel out for a refill.

"Any time, Sidney. Happy Chanukah."

"Merry Christmas, Sherm."

Here we are as in olden days,  
Happy golden days of yore.  
Faithful friends who are dear to us gather near to us once more.

The camp's head honcho and visiting psychiatrist sat laughing and draining the scotch bottle, not bothering to pay attention to the passage of time. The private festivities were slightly marred when Colonel Potter accidentally knocked the empty bottle onto the floor, causing it to shatter into countless pieces. Unfortunately, Sidney managed to cut the palm of his left hand while attempting to retrieve the shards and toss them into the waste basket. It wasn't severe enough to be considered an emergency; however, there was enough blood to necessitate a dressing be snuggly wrapped around the injured area.

"Looks like you'll have to stop by post-op and get that cut patched up before you risk getting an infection. Ya want me to go with ya?" the more seasoned gentleman offered his assistance, feeling slightly guilty for having caused the minor mishap. "I'm sorry this happened, Sidney."

"Accidents happen, Colonel," the shrink forgave his drinking buddy, reaching for the tissue that was offered to him and using it to absorb some of the crimson blood so his glove wouldn't be ruined. With the commander's help, Sidney gingerly slipped into his gloves and wrapped himself up in his protective clothing before venturing out into the snow. Once he was alone in the office again, Colonel Potter stooped over, carefully collected the broken glass, and dumped them into the circular file beside the desk.

"Merry Christmas, Mildred," he said after settling in his chair and throwing his wife's picture a military salute.  
Through the years we all will be together,  
If the Fates allow  
Until then we'll just have to muddle through somehow.  
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

Sidney knew that Colonel Potter was bearing up to his circumstances and that he would be all right, so he didn't feel bad about departing so abruptly. Shielding his eyes from the driving snow, he hiked across the compound, fighting the winds that were blowing against him. At last, he made it to post-op and shed his winter coat, scarf, and gloves.


	8. Charles: Deck The Halls

Chapter 7 – Charles: Deck The Halls

"I see Ebenezer Scrooge has you working the night shift," Sidney observed once he caught sight of Major Charles Emerson Winchester III making his rounds, a tobogganing cap atop his bald head.

"To what do I owe the – ahem – pleasure of this visit, Major? I can assure you that I am not suffering from melancholy; nor am I subject to hallucinations or delusions." Charles smugly said as he placed a chart at the foot of a patient's bed.

"Actually, I'm here to take advantage of your services, doctor; I've had a bit of a battle with a broken bottle."

"It appears to be a lot worse than it really is; however, it's nothing a Winchester can't cure with a minuscule amount of effort." The surgeon examined the flesh wound and concluded that a dressing was all his patient needed.

"I've never seen that cap before; is it a Christmas present?" Sidney queried, sitting on the edge of an empty bed In Post-op and waiting for his first aid.

"Actually, it was … both from my mother and father, and then from Father Mulcahy and Radar O'Reilly. I was submerged in a profound state of self pity over being forced to stay in this dismal excuse for a surgical base when he presented me with this cap. It is to my understanding that he, at the Father's urging, contacted my dear mother and requested that she send me a memento from home to raise my spirits." As he sterilized Sidney's wound, he began to recall the jolly celebrations he enjoyed with his family back in Boston.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la la la la!  
'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la!  
Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la la la la la la la!  
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la la la la!

"Every year, we would have a ten foot tree in the foyer that we would adorn with countless white satin doves and golden satin stars. Atop the tree we always had a Christmas angel made of the finest Waterford Crystal. As my mother, father, sister Honoria, and I would sit before the fire sipping one hundred year old brandy, we would listen to our record of the score to the Nutcracker. We would see our servants standing at attention, ready to honor our every desire, the firelight flickering against their smiling faces."

See the blazing yule before us, Fa la la la la la la la!  
Strike the harp and join the chorus, Fa la la la la la la la!  
Follow me in merry measure, Fa la la la la la la la!  
While I tell of Yuletide treasure, Fa la la la la la la la!

"The Christmas after I completed medical school I was in residency at Boston Mercy Hospital, and I was fortunate enough to have the holiday off. My family and I celebrated by attending a concert that was performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra; it was a grand time indeed. Every note was the sweetest nectar to our ears, and we couldn't possibly be in finer company. After the concert was over, we walked to the nearest church to attend midnight mass, the melodeous bells' knell resonating through the crisp night air. Mark my words, Major Freedman, that festivity will be a mere drop in the bucket compared to the grandios gala I'm sure we will have during my first Christmas back in civilization."

Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la la la la!  
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la la la la!  
Sing we joyous all together! Fa la la la la la la la!  
Heedless of the wind and weather, Fa la la la la la la la!

"Well, that will certainly be something to look forward to," Sidney said, testing the range of motion he had with the tight bandage wrapped around his hand. "Whenever you get a case of the Christmas blues, just think of how things will be on your first Christmas back home; trust me, it does help."

"I shall, Major Freedman," Charles stated as he packed up the first aid supplies. "Although it is important to let a cut such as that breathe, I strongly recommend you leave that on until you are in more sanitary conditions."

"Thank you, Dr. Winchester. Merry Christmas to you."

"Happy holidays Major," Charles cordially returned the wish as Sidney bundled up and prepared to venture out in the cold and make his way back to the O club..


	9. Margaret: We Need A Little Christmas

Chapter 8 – Margaret: We Need A Little Christmas

His musings of Christmases past coming to a halt, Sidney panned around the Officers' club and watched how the personnel were making merry during the Christmas of 1952. Colonel Potter was still decked out in his Santa suit, passing out hand painted Christmas cards to all his enlisted men and officers, and Charles sat at the bar engaging in discourse with a nurse as they partook of Cognac together. Klinger and Nurse Kelly danced until they found themselves under the mistletoe, where he planted a kiss on her cheek. Suddenly a strange feeling overcame Sidney, and he found himself searching the room for several people, rather than observing the festivities. He scanned the club from one corner to the other and became puzzled why Major Margaret Houlihan, Father John Francis Patrick Mulcahy, and Captains BJ Hunnicutt and Hawkeye Pierce were not among the party guests! Finding this to be extraordinarily odd, he decided to bundle up and battle the furious winds and snow so he could locate and possibly be of some help to the missing people.

Major Freedman hiked through the harsh weather and noticed a light on in Margaret's tent; and he made up his mind that her abode was his first port of call. Heeding the sign, he knocked and strained to hear her voice calling for him to enter.

"Yes?" she yelled through the closed door.

"Margaret, it's Sidney Freedman! I noticed you weren't at the party at the O club!"

The door swung open to reveal the blonde in all her absolutely exhausted glory. "You'd better come in before you catch your death out there." With that, she stepped aside and beckoned for her visitor to enter her little home.

"You look like you could use some company," the psychiatrist observed as he sat in her desk chair and she reclined on her bunk with a copy of _A Christmas Carol _in her hands.

"I see you like to read Dickens."

"It helps me get into the Christmas mood … something that's hard to do after losing a patient on what's supposed to be the most special day of the year," the lady major said with sadness in her normally loud and overpowering voice. "At times like this, I need reminders that it _is _Christmas time. Reading Dickens is the closest to a tradition I seem to have; I've been reading it this time of year since I was sixteen."

Haul out the holly;  
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again.  
Fill up the stocking,  
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now.  
For we need a little Christmas  
Right this very minute,  
Candles in the window,  
Carols at the spinet.  
Yes, we need a little Christmas  
Right this very minute.  
It hasn't snowed a single flurry,  
But Santa, dear; we're in a hurry;

"I imagine that, as an Army brat who moved around a lot, you never really had a chance to have very many traditional holidays or attend as many Christmas parties as you wanted. Because of that, you've had to learn how to keep Christmas in any way you could during wartime and peace."

"You're right. The closest we ever came to a traditional Christmas was when we were living in Fort Ord. The rest of the time, we lived on bases all around the world and celebrated according to the culture where we lived... My father was seldom home with Mom, Lizzie, and me, so we celebrated in any way we could. When I was fifteen, my father gave me this book; he gave Lizzy a collection of Christmas records; and he gave Mom two bottles of the finest perfumes in Europe. The year after that, Daddy was overseas, and we were in California; those gifts became our Christmas traditions from then on. Lizzy plays those records; Mom only wears those perfumes between Thanksgiving and Christmas; and I read this book. It gives us some semblance of stability in the unstable world of an Army family. For some reason, this book is more important to me this year than ever before."

So climb down the chimney;  
Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen.  
Slice up the fruitcake;  
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.  
For I've grown a little leaner,  
Grown a little colder,  
Grown a little sadder,  
Grown a little older,  
And I need a little angel  
Sitting on my shoulder,  
Need a little Christmas now.

As Sidney watched Margaret turn her attention back to the pages of the novel, he noticed an expression of contentment twinkling in her green eyes. It was true that her living conditions were never perfect, nor did she have the chance to celebrate Christmas as her friends had during childhood; however, that classic piece of literature proved to be an anchor onto which she could cling and recall a cherished memory. This would certainly get her through this dismal Christmas. When he saw the chief nurse reaching for the lone piece of fudge that sat on her bedside table, Sidney knew she would be all right now.

"I can see you're enjoying your reading, Major, so I will wish you Merry Christmas." The therapist smiled at his hostess before wrapping up in his protective winter paraphernalia and opening the door.

"Sidney?" Margaret called after him before he passed through the opening.

"Yes, Margaret?" he acknowledged her hail, spinning on one booted heel and waiting for her to say what was on her mind.

"I think Captains Pierce and Hunnicutt could use a friend right now. They were both feeling pretty low after we lost our patient."

"I'll be sure to stop in on them. Merry Christmas!" With that, Sidney waved and exited the female officer's tent and headed for Post-op, where he believed one or both of the surgeons might be hiding.


	10. Father Mulcahy: Mary, Did You Know?

Chapter 9 – Father Mulcahy: Mary Did You Know

The stinging snowflakes flew furiously at Sidney as he pressed through the ferocious winds. There was a moment or two when the major swore he would be knocked onto his keister if he wasn't careful. Finally gaining upon the main surgical building, he pushed the door open and gratefully accepted the shelter the flimsy structure offered.

"Hawkeye! BJ!" he hailed in hopes of finding the two surgeons who reportedly needed a friend and listening ear.

"Sidney?" Father John Francis Patrick Mulcahy emerged from the office where he had been sitting and reflecting on the wonders of Christmas, smudges of fudge on two fingernails and the right-hand corner of his mouth. "I'm afraid they're not here right now. They seemed to be so despondent after we lost our patient tonight, and I suggested they get some dinner while I promised to stay here to keep an eye on things until they return."

Upon hearing of the surgeons' present emotional state, Sidney's eyes darkened, and his mouth turned downward into a concerned frown.

"Margaret just told me that they lost a patient tonight."

"They did everything they could for him; they just couldn't bear to have him die on Christmas. It's such a sacred holiday … one that symbolizes a very special birth and hope, not the end of life in a land thousands of miles from home. On this day, we should be remembering the Christ child's birth and all the joy that comes with it; I have often wondered if Mary, herself, had known that her baby boy was God in human form? Did she realize that she was cradling God with the skin on?"

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?  
Mary, did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?  
Did you know, that your baby boy has come to make you new?  
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Realizing he was speaking to a man who didn't observe the Christmas holiday, the soft spoken chaplain flushed a bashful, rosy pink.

"Forgive me, Sidney; I should have remembered that you don't necessarily share the same beliefs as I do as far as Christmas goes."

"That's all right, Father. I deeply respect that, and I don't have to agree with your beliefs to understand what they mean to you. IN fact, I look on it as an education and a way to get to know my friends a little better." The shrink smiled, his turtle brown eyes twinkling as brightly as the star of Bethlehem had done centuries ago.

"Such a powerful and glorious being coming to us in the form of a baby born in a stable … It just takes my breath away. One day He's a sleeping babe, whose only concern is if His parents will feed Him and keep Him safe; then just a few short years later, He's teaching about the kingdom of Heaven, healing people with various disabilities, and preparing for the ultimate sacrifice He will make on all our behalves. The concept of Him coming down from Heaven to live as a man for us is so awesome; you can't possibly wrap your head around it. To this day, I am in total and complete awe over the power His birth has over the nations of the world."

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?  
Mary, did you know your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?  
Did you know, that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?  
When you kiss your little baby, you've kissed the face of God.

As Father Mulcahy heaved a sigh, Sidney arched his eyebrows in confusion; he knew Jesus Christ was a Jewish man, but he was never taught that the wise and wonderful teacher was the Messiah.

"Father, I mean no disrespect when I say this, but I'm afraid you've lost me."

"I'm terribly sorry, Sidney. Catholics and Protestants believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the one who truly is God, the one capable of opening the eyes of the blind, unplugging the ears of the deaf, restoring speech to the mute, raising the lame to their feet, and even restoring life of the dead."

"Father, I understand that part; I grew up surrounded by Christian friends and learned all about their beliefs. The part I'm having trouble understanding is why you said that Jesus' birth had power over the nations of the world. What did you mean?"

The blind will see  
The deaf will hear  
The dead will live again.  
The lame will leap  
The dumb will speak  
The praises of The Lamb.

"Oh, Sidney, surely you've heard of the Christmas Truce of 1914. It took place during the First World War in Ypres, Belgium when the German troops began to decorate the areas around their trenches. They sang Christmas Carols and adorned the surrounding trees with candles. They sang 'Stille Nacht', the German version of Silent night when the Scottish troops began to sing carols as well. Soon both sides were shouting Christmas greetings to one another across the battlefield. Then they ventured into the neutral territory to exchange gifts of whisky, jam, cigars, and chocolate. The artillery remained silent through the night and the ceasefire lasted for anywhere from a day to an entire week. During this lull, both sides were allowed to retrieve their fallen men for proper burial." The priest's eyes filled with hot tears of sentiment, and he dabbed at the salty beads before slipping his spectacles back on. "The 23rd Psalm was read as both sides paid their respects to each other's fallen soldiers, and they acted as fellow men, not as enemies. Sidney, the remembrance of Jesus' birth literally stopped a war for a brief time, something no other birthday could ever do; and that knowledge will go with me to my grave," he choked out his words, resisting the urge to break down into quiet sobs of joy.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?  
Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?  
Did you know, that your baby boy is heaven's perfect lamb?  
This sleeping child you're holding, is the great I AM.

Sidney reached up and brushed a single tear from his right eye, gulping down the lump that formed in his throat. Although he was unable to wrap his head around Jesus' true majesty, he could appreciate what it must have meant to the kindly priest. Passing a tissue to his companion, he felt led to ask,

"Are you all right, Father?"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine, Sidney," Father Mulcahy answered with a slight quiver in his voice. "These are just tears of absolute joy. However, I do believe that Hawkeye and BJ will need you more badly than I do. I think they may still be in the mess tent having a late night meal."

"You're sure you're all right?"

"I'll feel better knowing that you're there to give them some comfort. Nobody should be alone on Christmas."

"I'll go check on them now," the shrink promised, slapping the clergyman on the back and passing him an assuring smile before he bundled up and ventured out once more into the driving snow.


	11. Bj: You Make It Feel Like Christmas

Chapter 10 – BJ: You Make It Feel Like Christmas

Sidney entered the mess tent and immediately helped himself to the last of the semi-hot coffee and what he thought to be World War I surplus fruitcake before his brown peepers fell upon a tall figure sitting by himself at a table with two trays in front of him. He approached the lone surgeon and perched on an empty seat, noticing that his company sat with his head bowed, one or two salty drops falling into his plate of deplorable rubbish that the Army jokingly called a Christmas meal; Sidney knew that Father Mulcahy and Margaret had every reason to be concerned. Without a word, the forlorn fellow picked up a piece of fudge in his thumb and index finger and slowly popped it into his mouth.

"Didn't your mother tell you to eat your dinner before you could have any dessert?" the psycho-therapist queried, catching Captain BJ Hunnicutt's attention.

"Oh … hi, Sidney. I didn't see you come in." BJ somberly said as he wiped the smudges of fudge from his fingers with a paper napkin.

"You look rather glum for someone who is supposed to be celebrating a major holiday," the analyst observed before he impaled his fruitcake with his fork, bending one of the prongs in the process.

"Forgive me, Sidney, but it doesn't feel much like Christmas around here … not after what we went through in OR. Christmas is a time for all of us to be with our families, not to be kept apart from them – or permanently separated from them because of a needless death. Hawk and I knew it was wrong to change the time on the clock, but we didn't want someone's family to remember Christmas as the day their husband or daddy died. Then I started thinking about how I never got to spend any Christmases with Erin, and …" The mustached man angrily pounded the table with his fist, causing all the trays to jump! "I HATE THIS! Thanks to this lousy no good war, I missed out on Erin's first and second Christmases!" He grabbed his wadded up napkin and dabbed away the liquid beads that threatened to race each other down his cheeks. "I miss Peg and Erin so much it hurts me right down to my guts, but it's worse during the holidays."

"And that feeling of homesickness mixed with despair was only magnified by the loss of a patient on Christmas … one that apparently had a family."

"Why, Sidney, why did he have to die on Christmas? Why do we all have to spend Christmas stuck over here instead of with our families? Peg and Erin don't deserve to celebrate the holidays alone like this. Peggy's so special, and she deserves better than this. She's so incredible; she has never let me down, and she has this way of making it feel like Christmas every day of the year."

Look at us now,  
Part of it all  
In spite of it all,  
We're still around  
Lovers in love,  
Just like we were  
Being apart's a lonely sound  
When people ask how we stay together  
I say you never let me down

"I remember our first Christmas together," BJ began to reminisce, his mind taking him back to his days as a newlywed. "Peg and I had been married for seven months, and we never got tired of looking into each other's eyes. We slept late, knowing that when we started having kids, we would never have another leisurely Christmas as long as we lived. Without bothering to get dressed, we went downstairs to heat up the coffee cake for what we wanted to become our traditional Christmas breakfast. It never snowed in Mill Valley, so we ate at the picnic table in our back yard. After the dishes were washed, we broke into our presents and laughed the morning away. We had cleaned up all the torn wrapping paper and ribbons when Peg suddenly grabbed the biggest bow, flopped on the couch, and held it to her stomach with a big grin almost splitting her face. She told me I had one more Christmas present coming, but it would be late. Then she broke into a giggle fit. I asked her what was so funny, and she told me to come and unwrap my present. I sat on the edge of the couch and took the bow from her; then she had me untie her robe. I thought my heart would stop when she placed my hand on the stretch panel of her new maternity night gown! Funny how I never noticed before; anyway, that's when she told me she was two months pregnant with Erin. As that special little girl grew inside her mommy, I felt like it was Christmas every day. No matter what Peg did, I couldn't take my eyes off that little present she was carrying around in her tummy. When Erin was born, she even came home in a little blue dress with snowflakes and candy canes all over it." After a brief pause, BJ sighed, "I sure wish I was home with them now so I could wish them Merry Christmas."

And you make it feel like Christmas  
Even when things go wrong  
I hear the sound of Christmas in your song  
All year long  
Yes, you know that I do

"So what's stopping you from doing the next best thing, BJ?" Sidney inquired after taking a sip of coffee and making a twisted face in disgust over the vile taste. "Last I heard, the phones aren't down."

"But isn't it around five in the morning over there?""

"With a little girl in the house, do you seriously think Peg's asleep?"

"Good point. Do me a favor, Sidney. Hawk stepped out to use the latrine and get some paper so he could write his dad; wouldja mind letting him know where I went?"

"Not at all, BJ."

With a smile, BJ thanked Sidney and patted him on the shoulder before he donned his protective clothing, bid his friend a proper farewell in the event he was gone on his return, and exited the tent. The snow hadn't let up at all, but the surgeon didn't care, for he was going to phone home and wish his little daughter Merry Christmas for the very first time!

Look at the sun  
Shining on me  
Nowhere could be a better place  
Lovers in love,  
That's what we are  
I reach for that star out there in space

BJ made his way to the company clerk's office and dropped his heavy coat over the back of the chair. Plunking down on the seat, he faced the switchboard and turned the crank. With the receiver pressed firmly against his left ear, he listened for signs of life on the other end.

"Merry Christmas, Sparky. This is Captain Hunnicutt; I'd like to place a stateside call to my wife in Mill Valley, California please … Klondike 5-9962." A lengthy pause followed after Sparky, who was a bit grumpy over having his own celebration interrupted, finally got through. Heavy static filled the airwaves, along with the purring telephone rings. At last Peg Hunnicutt's soft voice came through.

"Hello?"

"Merry Christmas, honey!" BJ was able to raise his voice over the interference and still sound as warm and caring as if he were whispering his season's greeting into his spouse's delicate pink ear.

"BJ, I can't believe it's you! Merry Christmas Darling!"

"Ahhh, Peg, I can't tell you how much I miss you and Erin and how badly I want this stupid war to end so I can spend Christmas with you two … holding Erin in my lap and telling her Santa stories, you and me feeding each other Christmas cookies that came right out of the oven and not caring if we burned our tongues, seeing the looks on your faces when you open the presents I gave you." Just these words deepened the captain's desire to spend Christmas of 1953 as a civilian – even if it meant deliberately injuring himself so he could be sent back to Mill Valley. "Sweetheart, I would gladly give my tonsils, appendix, and all four wisdom teeth at the same time just to be able to come home to you. I mean it when I say that you and Erin are my Christmas angels; and I'd have you with me all year long, not just between Thanksgiving and New Years Day."

'Cause you make it feel like Christmas  
Even when things go wrong  
I hear the sound of Christmas in your song  
All year long  
And you know that's it true

"Oh, BJ, Erin and I would love it if you could be home next Christmas," Peg sighed into the phone. "I took Erin to see Santa Clause a couple days ago; and when Santa asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she hugged him and said 'Daddy home.' When Santa looked up at me, I held up that picture you sent me of you in your dress uniform and explained that Daddy is an Army doctor in Korea. Santa said that it takes time to deliver presents that come all the way from Korea, so that present would have to come late. Erin nodded and kissed him before I thanked Santa and let the next little one have his turn."

"Hopefully Santa has connections with Uncle Sam, and I will get enough rotation points to come home sometime this next year."

"Are you sure, honey, you said Hawkeye's been there longer than you, and he still hasn't been sent home."

"It takes longer for guys like Hawk to get enough points because he doesn't have children at home, and he didn't want to put in for the Purple Heart despite having been injured a couple times. Radar told me that their late commanding officer, Henry Blake, and one of the other surgeons, Trapper John McIntyre, both got sent home early because they had kids. You know, Little Erin might be responsible for getting her daddy home so we can have lots of Christmases together... and we can see if we can make her a big sister. Can you imagine what Christmas would be like five years from now?"

Sleepy we are,  
But happy together  
Sounds of forever  
Greet the day  
So wake up the kids,  
Put on some tea  
Light up the tree,  
It's Christmas day

"Mama! Mama!" A wee child squeaked in the background, and BJ felt his heart racing at the sound of his daughter's voice.

"Come here, sweetie," Peg coaxed as she lifted the toddler into her lap and held the phone to her little face. "Say hi to Daddy."

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

"Hi, sweetheart!" BJ's mood instantly brightened ten fold. "Merry Christmas baby!" The captain listened to the quiet dialogue that mother and daughter exchanged.

"Daddy inside?"

"No honey, Daddy's in another room far far away, and he has to hold one of these black things …" Three taps of long fingernails against a plastic phone receiver tic-tic-ticked over the static. "You talk into the bottom part, and your voice comes out of the black thing Daddy's holding. Then Daddy talks into his black thing, and his voice comes out of the top part of our black thing."

BJ couldn't help chortling over his wife's simplistic explanation of the telephone, and he briefly felt as if the world had shrunk, bringing him closer to his long missed family.

Suddenly, Sparky joined the mix, his vocal tones sounding much more relaxed and nowhere near as agitated than usual.

"Sir, I hate to break up your Christmas reunion, but your time limit is up; I have to free the line."

"Peg, Erin, I have to go now before they cut me off. I love both of you and miss you very much! Merry Christmas!"

"We love you too, darling! Merry Christmas!" Peg said her good-bye before Erin apparently grabbed the phone, putting her mouth directly on the handset, rendering a distorted "Bye bye, Daddy," and planting a sloppy kiss into the phone.

Yeah, you make it feel like Christmas  
Even when things go wrong  
I hear the sound of Christmas in your song  
All year long  
Yes you know that I do  
All year long  
Light up the tree.

It's Christmas time

Even though the phone had clicked into a very abrupt silence, BJ's good mood hadn't been marred one bit, for he got the finest Christmas present he could ever hope to receive over here in Korea – the chance to talk to his family and enjoy them for just a little while. Gently rubbing his rumbling tummy, he remembered there was a meal waiting for him in the mess tent, which had likely gone stone cold by now. He also realized that Hawkeye might be back at the table listening to Sidney's explanation for his absence. His cheeks aching from the beaming grin he wore, BJ wrapped up in his protective winter clothes and trudged through the brutal weather on his way back to the mess tent.


	12. HawkEye: Grown Up Christmas List

Chapter 11 – Hawkeye: Grown-up Christmas List

Sidney had managed to choke down half of his petrified fruitcake when a firmly wrapped figure entered the mess tent. The soldier quickly approached the coffee pot and banged his fist on the tabletop when he realized there was no coffee to be had. Accepting this rather annoying fate, he ducked into the kitchen in search of some cider, tea, or hot chocolate, anything to warm his bones that had been chilled in the frigid, biting cold. Because supplies were running low and wouldn't be coming in until after Boxing Day or the weather settled down - which ever came first – the personnel had to content themselves with whatever was on hand. Moments after his brief disappearance, the military man reemerged with a mug in hand and a nostalgic grin hi-lighting his wind-rosied features. He crossed the tent and promptly parked his patoot on the bench where the uneaten meal had been set.

"Hi, Sidney, ya come all the way up here to have some pre-barfed fruitcake that even the North Koreans won't touch? Hawkeye queried, laying his scalding mug of hot chocolate and heaping mini-marshmallows on the corner of his tray next to a single piece of home made fudge. "Beej need the latrine?"

"The cake's not so bad … that's if you enjoy eating desserts that can be used to build bunkers. As for BJ, he'll be back in a few minutes; he wanted to call Peg and wish her a Merry Christmas," the visiting major smiled before he poked another stony bite into his mouth. After a moment and a brief look in his eyes that clearly stated that he was grateful not to have lost a filling, Sidney swallowed the bite and briefly excused himself so he could get a glass of water in which he could dip his eatable rocks and soften them to a texture that wouldn't give the local dentist job security.

When the shrink returned, Hawkeye was gingerly lifting his cup so he could test the liquid's temperature before hastily taking a sip and burning his tongue so badly it would leave him lisping for two days. When a marshmallow rolled off the top of the heap and landed on the tray with a dull thud, the chief surgeon set his steaming cocoa aside and picked up the white weight between his thumb and index finger.

"Hear ye hear ye! We have the confession of a mini-marshmallow you can break a tooth on; in fact I wouldn't be surprised if it could be used for a false tooth!" he boldly proclaimed as he repeatedly dropped the sugary bead against his tray. Lifting it between his fingers again, he continued to ramble,

"Just load these into our troops' guns, and they can pick off enemy soldiers one by one. We might want to save these in the event we want to start a rock garden in the compound or give them to General Embry for the bottom of his fish tank. If they rolled better, I could send them back to Crabapple Cove and tell the children they are Korean marbles."

Sensing that Hawk was using jokes to cover up his distressed feelings, Sidney finished chewing his latest bite of soaked fruitcake and tried to change the subject to one he felt should be addressed.

"Before he stepped out, BJ said that you two had a rough night in OR."

"A rough night doesn't begin to describe it, Sidney. Christmas isn't the time to rot in a war zone and watch someone die right before your eyes. I hate war … I mean I really hate it." The raven haired physician brooded, taking a sip from his cup and finding he needed to wait another minute before he could safely drink it. He then pulled a pen and pad from his pocket and began to write.

"Another letter to your father?"

"No. You'd have me locked up in the wack-ateria if I told you who I'm writing."

"Hawkeye, you're not the first G.I. I've seen overhear who has written to Santa Clause asking for the war to end. If it helps you cope with all you're going through over here, then, by all means, go ahead."

Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee  
I wrote to you with childhood fantasies  
Well, I'm all grown-up now and still need help somehow.  
I'm not a child but my heart still can dream  
So here's my lifelong wish my grown-up Christmas list  
Not for myself but for a world in need

"You got me, Sidney, I'm writing to Santa … thirty-two years old and I'm sending a Christmas list to Santa like a little kid. Maybe it's not for a bunch of toys or even my own personal nurse; it's … it's uh … not just stuff for me. It's for everybody who feels the same way," The meatball surgeon sighed as he scrawled his wish list on the paper. "You might think my sprinkles have slid off my Christmas cookie, but an end to war is just the first thing I put on there. I'm also asking for an end to loneliness, a way to heal broken hearts, and for the world to be a better place.

"You know something; I don't think that's crazy at all. It's normal to want to make the world a better place … especially at Christmas time, and you're a man who can't stand to see death, destruction, or depression. Some might say that writing such a letter is a form of self therapy, an excellent way to cope with all that goes on around a war zone."

"And all that's going on at home … or not going on at home," Hawkeye muttered before partaking of his hot cocoa.

No more lives torn apart  
That wars would never start,  
And time would heal all hearts  
And everyone would have a friend  
And right would always win  
And love would never end  
This is my grown-up Christmas list

"What did you mean by that, Hawkeye?" Sidney arched his eyebrows, wanting to know why his companion made that somber comment that touched his heart.

"I'm talking about Dad. Every year after the holidays are over, I have to find out from his sister that he spent them all alone. The year before last, Dad got the flu and was too contagious to be around anybody; last year, Auntie Nan said everyone was so sure he'd been invited to someone else's house that it turned out he never went anywhere. Auntie Nan thought the pastor was having him over; the pastor thought Dad was with Toby Wilder and his family; the list goes on. If it wasn't for my being stupid and not wanting Dad to replace Ma with a stepmother I hardly knew, he wouldn't be spending the holidays alone. After all he did for me … giving me a mountain of Christmas presents, buying me clothes, feeding me, putting a roof over my head, sending me to college, how do I repay him … by dooming him to a life long broken heart."

"You can't blame yourself for your father's not remarrying; as a child you'd have been powerless to stop it if he was bound and determined to take a new wife. You may have disapproved of the marriage, but your father felt it was better for all involved to remain single rather than be a husband in a miserable family where one member didn't accept another."

"But even if that was true, no present I send to him can make up for his rattling around in that house by himself on Christmas, or any other time for that matter."

As children we believed the grandest sight to see  
Was something lovely wrapped beneath our tree.  
Well heaven surely knows that packages and bows  
Can never heal a hurting human soul

A reminiscent sparkle shone in Hawkeye's cerulean eyes as he swallowed another mouthful of cocoa and glob of melted marshmallows.

"After Ma died, Dad used to make me hot chocolate like this and pile the marshmallows on top until they fell out and rolled all over the kitchen table. Too bad I can't do something like that for him; just to show him I'm grateful for all he did for me and how much I really do love him."

"Perhaps when BJ is off the phone, you can call your father and tell him how you're feeling. You would get to hear his voice for the first time in I don't know how long and also see that he doesn't have to spend at least some of the holiday alone. It should be Christmas morning in Maine right about now." Sidney suggested, stuffing another waterlogged bite into his mouth.

"You know, Sidney, I think I will; it'll be good to hear his voice again." Hawkeye smiled, lifting his mug so he could finish his hot drink.

When he put the empty cup on his tray, some melted marshmallow stuck to his nose, causing Sidney to snicker. Realizing the reason for the shrink's laughter, the surgeon quickly reached for his paper napkin and dabbed away the sugary zit. He then ate half of his dinner while working on his wish list. By the time he had run out of things to write and lost his appetite for the Army's nasty excuse for food, Sidney had cleaned his plate, guzzling the rest of his water in hopes of washing some of the yucky taste from his tongue.

"I don't know how they do it, but the fruit cake gets worse every year," the therapist commented dryly as he grabbed his tray and set it by the dirty dish bin. "Shalom, Hawkeye!" he called to the still seated surgeon before he donned his parka and exited for the O club.

Sinking his teeth into the piece of fudge Colonel Potter had given him, Hawkeye found his mood lifted slightly at the thought of phoning home. Nobody could make him forget his cares like his happy-go-lucky father; and he wanted to show the solitary elderly man how much he truly loved him. Despite his elevated mood, he did make a silent Christmas wish that someday there would be no more war, no more loneliness or depression, and for the world to be a better place where joy reigned supreme.

No more lives torn apart  
That wars would never start  
And time would heal all hearts  
And everyone would have a friend  
And right would always win  
And love would never end  
This is my grown-up Christmas list

"Hawk!" one Army Eskimo called out to the other, his voice muffled by not only his scarf, but the howling wind.

"Beej!" Hawkeye attempted to be heard through his own scarf and the winds that threatened to whip his words away.

"As a native of New England, I hate to admit this, but it's nights like this when I wish Christmas was in the summertime!"

"Well, to have a green Christmas, you have to go to New Zealand, Australia, South America … or Mill Valley! Where ya headed?"

"Gonna call Dad and wish him a Merry Christmas; maybe I can't be with him, but at least I can talk to him for a few minutes!"

"Good ole Sidney; he suggested I do the same thing. I just got off the phone with Peg and Erin! Hearing their voices was the best Christmas present I ever got since I came to this crummy place!"

"Looks like it's my turn next!"

"Hope you enjoy your call as much as I did!" BJ hollered to the departing form, waving happily until he could no longer see the tall man's shadow.

Hawk trudged across the compound and ducked into the warmth and safety of the company clerk's office, grateful to be out of the harsh climate that seemed to decline rapidly within only the last hour. Shedding his protective layers, he warmed himself by the small stove, intent on placing his call the second he completely thawed out. Settling in the chair, he grabbed hold of the receiver in his left hand and turned the phone's crank with his right.

"Hi, Sparky, Merry Christmas. I need to place a stateside phone call to Dr. Daniel Pierce in Crabapple Cove, Maine. His number is Klondike 5-6477. Thanks." Not claiming to be the most patient man on the face of the earth, Hawkeye anxiously sat waiting for the jumble of static, clicks, and trilling telephone rings to give way to a tinny representation of his beloved father's voice.

"Pierce residence," the older man's words crackled to life over the line that connected the international call.

"Dad…" was all the young captain could choke out, momentarily feeling as if he had been catapulted back in time to the days where he, as a child or teenager, felt as if nothing could go wrong as long as dear ole Dad was there with him.

What is this illusion called the innocence of youth?  
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth

"Ben? Is that you, son?" The excited inflections in Daniel's voice was strong enough to transcend the vast distance that lay between the two members of the Pierce family! "Merry Christmas, kiddo!"

"Merry Christmas, Dad." A cozy feeling of security and warmth hovered over Hawkeye and bundled itself around him like a fuzzy king size blanket with the satiny edges that one loves to use to tickle the nose.

"You have no idea how much I wish I was there celebrating with you right now instead of being stuck in this God forsaken place. I wanna be there sitting by the fireplace eating the finger foods you used to fix for us to graze over through the day; I miss the way we used to crumple the ripped up wrapping paper into balls and have a contest over who can get the most into the fire; I even miss trying to set up Ma's Nativity scene on Grandpa's drop-leaf table in the sun room, only to find out we put all the pieces in different boxes … and then we spent half the day digging them all out before we put them up."

"Do you remember when you were nine, and you set up the trains I gave you around the Nativity scene?"

"I was telling BJ about that a few hours ago. I used to give the wise men a ride to Bethlehem in the caboose."

"Well, Jim and Lawrence Wilder are having a ball with those trains now. Jim even put Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus in the caboose and started up the trains on the slowest speed, claiming he didn't want Baby Jesus to get queasy on the ride."

"Toby's kids are there?" Hawk gasped in disbelief, staring incredulously at the switchboard in front of him.

"We had an ice storm last week, and a tree branch fell on their roof; they're staying with me until the house is habitable again."

Benjamin Franklin Pierce heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this news. Sorry as he was to hear that Toby's house was damaged, he was filled with joy that his dad wouldn't be forced to spend the holiday season all by himself.

"Dad, I don't know how long until they cut me off; would you wish Toby and his family a Merry Christmas for me?"

"I'll do better than that. He's right here…" A brief pause elapsed before the voice of a younger man with a thick New England accent manifested.

"Hawkeye? Is that you? I haven't heard from you since you called me up to tell me about that dream you had of me wiping out on a sled!"

"Can't believe it's been that long, Toby."

"I think I owe you an apology for that ding-a-ling we had the last time we talked. I uh … found out what happened to that money I said you owed me; I forgot I stashed it in my old high school yearbook as soon as you paid me back. I … found it when I was cleaning out the disaster area that was once my attic. I'm sorry I jumped all over ya like that, especially since you sounded like you were going outta your mind over the phone that time."

"Forget about it, Toby; the important thing is you're all right and you and your family have a place to stay until your house is livable again. Merry Christmas, pal!"

"Merry Christmas, buddy! Lemme give ya back to your dad; hold on!"

"Captain Pierce," Sparky suddenly appeared on the line. "I can't keep this connection open much longer."

"Dad, they're about to cut off the call. Do me a favor and tell everybody that I wish them a Merry Christmas, will ya?"

"You bet I will, son."

No more lives torn apart  
That wars would never start  
And time would heal all hearts  
And everyone would have a friend  
And right would always win  
And love would never end, oh  
This is my grown-up Christmas list  
This is my lifelong Christmas wish.  
This is my grown-up Christmas list

Heart tugging good-byes were rendered by the two Pierce men, who unbeknownst to the other were both welling up with mists of sentiment in their eyes. Hawkeye hung up the phone as soon as the silence put an end to the interference. Although the war would carry on and most of the items on Hawk's wish list remained mere wishes, he felt content that there was one less man in the world spending this sacred holiday all alone. With a grin threatening to split his handsome face in two, Hawkeye bundled up and made his way back to the mess tent so he could hopefully catch up with BJ, and they could rejoice in each other's happiness!


	13. epilogue

Epilog

As the wee hours approached, all the personnel dispersed to their tents, and Sidney was no exception. Since this was his third winter not having access to a menorah, he contented himself with observing Chanukah any way he could, given his current circumstances. Reclining on his bunk in the V.I. P. tent, he retrieved a Dreidel from his pants pocket and spun it on the table next to his cot. It was a tradition he had observed for many years now, but it meant so much more to him now in this war torn place and with these beloved people.

I have a little dreidel  
I made it out of clay  
and when it's dry and ready  
then dreidel I shall play!

As he watched the small toy merrily spin upon the surface, Major Freedman found himself lifting a silent prayer to the Almighty for a quick end to this horrible war so that, next year, he would not only be able to partake of kosher meals during this festive time, but to teach his youngest son how to play the traditional game with his siblings.

Oh - dreidel, dreidel, dreidel  
I made it out of clay  
And when it's dry and ready  
Then dreidel I shall play!

During the holiday seasons of 1950 and 1951, the small top landed in such a way that the mark, Nun, symbolizing that the player takes none of the pot, was lying face up. However, this year, a different symbol showed itself, and Sidney smiled broadly.

It has a lovely body  
With legs so short and thin  
And when my dreidel's tired  
It drops and then I win!

"Gimel … player takes all," he spoke gleefully. "Next year, my friends; next year, we will all be celebrating Christmas and Chanukah at home with our families and friends."

Oh - dreidel, dreidel, dreidel  
I made it out of clay  
And when it's dry and ready  
Then dreidel I shall play!

Though he was not a superstitious man, the symbol upon the Dreidel gave him reason to hope. As he lay upon his bunk, he reflected upon the various conversations he had enjoyed with the personnel. Margaret's nomadic life where her only stability was her Dickens novel; Sherman, who was still so in love with Mildred that he had a quiet drink with her picture in the solitude of his tent; Radar, whose boyish innocence radiated warmth, family togetherness and good cheer; BJ, who yearned for his family so much so that Sidney believed strongly that he would be another Potter if he had chosen the army as his career; Charles Emerson Winchester, pompous, aristocratic, but not immune to the festive season; Hawkeye Pierce, who, beneath his brash, sarcastic devil may care attitude, possessed a deep longing that, in so many ways, summed up everyone's secret—and not so secret desire for peace; Klinger, often the brunt of everyone's jokes; but when it came down to the wire, the cross dressing man attended to his duties with zeal and a willingness to go the extra mile for the camp even though he detested the army vehemently. As the shrink lay in the dark,his mind wandered to the conversation he'd had with Father Mulcahyj and the sentiment he'd shared with the kindly, gentle priest. Mulcahy's job, like his own, was not an easy one. Yet he kept his faith strong, his hope alive and acceptance of humanity very much in tact. Though they did not share the same beliefs, there was no judgmental attitude from the young clergyman, a true testament to how Christmas brings people together. The conversation he had with Trapper, though laced with bitter anger, had turned out better than he'd expected; and the Christmas spirit had, as it so often does, permeated the young man's soul. Henry, dear, bumbling Henry, who should never have been drafted, still possessed an undying hope. Major Frank burns, always ready to douse anyone's flame, had instilled a measure of reality into the holiday spirit that reflected a lot of people's views as unfortunate as that was. Though the personnel's situations were sad, angry, desperate, they were a people of hope, a hope that would see them through these troubled times.

My dreidel's always playful  
It loves to dance and spin  
A happy game of dreidel  
Come play now, let's begin!

As Sidney's eyes grew heavy, he knew in his soul that the staff of the 4077th would be all right. "Shabbat Shalom," he whispered into the darkness before he pulled the Army blanket up to his shoulders and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Oh - dreidel, dreidel, dreidel  
I made it out of clay  
And when it's dry and ready  
Then dreidel I shall play!

Authors' Note: We hope you have enjoyed this little Christmas/Chanukah present from us to you, and we wish you a very merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah. If you do not observe either of these days, we wish you blessings through the New Year! KB and KG


End file.
